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Discoveries in Agriculture and Food Sciences - Vol. 11, No. 5

Publication Date: October 25, 2023

DOI:10.14738/dafs.115.15086.

Loo, L., Wagah, G. G., Aberman, N.-L., & Mile, E. (2023). Influence of Infrastructure on Urban Food Access. Discoveries in Agriculture

and Food Sciences, 11(5). 34-46.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Influence of Infrastructure on Urban Food Access

Loice Loo

School of Planning and Architecture,

Maseno University, Maseno, Kenya

George. G. Wagah

School of Planning and Architecture,

Maseno University, Maseno, Kenya

Noora-Lisa Aberman

Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition,

Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

Evans Mile

Department of Physical Planning Design and Control,

Konza Technopolis, Konza, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Globally, studies have attributed limited urban food access to infrastructural

challenges that are critical in linking food surplus to food deficit areas like Cities. In

the same breadth, trends by other studies show that in African Agricultural Growth

Corridors and Kenya, urban dwellers who outsource 70% of their food lack access

due to volatile and high food prices. Yet, the studies highlighted do not explicitly

elucidate the relationship between infrastructure and urban food prices. The paper

responds to this call by examining the influence of transport and its related costs

within food transit corridors on Kisumu city’s food prices. Focus Group Discussions

and surveys were employed in establishing the location of infrastructure, cost of

infrastructure and subsequent food prices. Findings show that cost of transport

influences selling price at a P-value = 0.03350254 derived from regression analysis.

A measure of how much the change in selling prices is driven by the changes in

transport cost is further confirmed by an R Square of 94%. Study concludes that the

relationship between cost of transport and food price as established in the study is

positive and linear, thereby spiking food prices. Study recommends identification

of food corridors that are critical to urban food access for upgrading and provision

of better transitions from bulky transportation to less bulky transportation to

reduced costs and ultimate food prices for increased urban food access.

Keywords: Food Corridor, Transport, Food Price.

INTRODUCTION

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) [6] and the United States Agency for

International Development (USAID) [20] posit that although enough food is being produced to

feed the entire world; access to the food is hampered by problems of low income and

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Loo, L., Wagah, G. G., Aberman, N.-L., & Mile, E. (2023). Influence of Infrastructure on Urban Food Access. Discoveries in Agriculture and Food

Sciences, 11(5). 34-46.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/dafs.115.15086

distribution. Consequently, food is still out of reach for one out of six people on our planet [18].

Despite this observation, studies by Africa Union [2] and FAO [6] show continued focus on

upgrading infrastructure towards increased food production. In demurral to this approach,

FAO [6] and climate change related studies [18] observe that increased food production does

not equate to access to food. Yet, focus on food distribution to food deficit areas remains

overlooked. As such, FAO [6] and [3] point out that infrastructure as a whole has influence on

accessibility to food more so for food deficit areas. Policies [10] hold that improving

infrastructure within Food Corridors is thus critical to urban food access; more so in deficit- producing parts of the Africa which lack sufficient infrastructure for effective transport,

distribution, and marketing of staple food commodities [7]. Emphasis is laid on establishing the

influence of infrastructure on food prices as both have been cited as key influencers of urban

food access albeit in silos. In example, deficit producing parts of Kenya suffer more price

fluctuations and higher prices which hampers food access [12] & [20]; yet no reference is made

to infrastructure in the text. In a separate study of the food systems of Kisumu city, it is

highlighted that only 30% of roads are maintained regularly in a city that suffers more price

fluctuations and higher prices than the two cities preceding it [13]. There has been a call for

studies to establish the influence of infrastructure on urban food access [10] which the study

responds to by linking infrastructure to food prices in the bid to understand the options for

increasing urban food access.

METHODOLOGY

Study Area

Western Kenya was selected as the study area where special focus has been paid to three food

corridors serving the city. The Figure below showcases the food corridors transporting maize

and kale to Kisumu city. They are Kisumu – Kitale, Kisumu – Meteitei and Kisumu – Kebenet

food corridors as illustrated in Figure 1. They have been selected due to the fact that they bring

the largest volumes of maize and kale into the city despite the fact that they originate from the

western region of Kenya. This local nature affirms their position as critical resources for city

resilience in food security [13].

Figure 1: Study area

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Discoveries in Agriculture and Food Sciences (DAFS) Vol 11, Issue 5, October- 2023

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Study Design

In undertaking the study, cross-sectional research design has been employed targeting a

population of 7480 business persons. A sample of 366 has been drawn from the study

population and proportionately distributed amongst business persons trading in food from

Kisumu – Kitale, Kisumu – Meteitei and Kisumu – Kebenet food corridors. Categorical, nominal

and quantitative data was collected from secondary sources, key informants, drivers,

middlemen, wholesalers and retailers. Semi-structured interviews and surveys have been

employed in tracking the related cost required to trade along the corridors. Focus Group

Discussions and surveys have aided in mapping the location of infrastructure. From the data

regression analysis. A measure of how much the change in selling prices is driven by the

changes in transport cost has been further confirmed by an R Square.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

The study looks at varying modes of transport i.e., lorries, pick-ups, matatus, motorbikes and

others. The cost implications of the highlighted modes of transport form the basis of the

analysis. Should the study results indicate that cost of transportation within the food transit

corridors contributes to increasing food price in the city; then it is a point of intervention for

increasing urban food access. The study pays special attention to transportation of food more

so to draw a direct link between its cost and food prices at the end of the food corridor. As the

link between food surplus and food deficit areas, transport infrastructure is important for

moderating price levels and price volatility in food markets more so when it is associated with

provision of safe, reliable, and affordable transport services. For urban areas which rely on

hinterlands for over 70% of their food demands, the infrastructure supports flow of food from

hinterland to market place and is thus critical for urban food access [5]. The Figure 1 shows

three food corridors that are the top suppliers of maize and kale for Kisumu city. These being

the staples and most widely consumed food products in the city showcase the significance of

the food corridors to the city’s food access. Of greater significance is the fact that the Food

Corridors emanate from the western block of Kenya and thus increase Kisumu’s resilience from

external shocks that could cut off food supply from other regions.